Characterizing and Categorizing the Essence of Sport Consumption Behavior: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

Sport consumer decision making is a complex process in which an individual evaluates, acquires, uses, or disposes of sport products or services. This qualitative study aimed to identify, understand, and describe the essential characteristics of sport products consumption behavior among professional athletes in Thailand. In-depth interviewing was carried out on 25 professional athlete consumers who responded to semi-structured questions regarding their sport goods consumption. Thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts to describe the essential characteristics of the consumption and to identify overarching topics. Following social constructionism, three themes (i.e., acquisition, use, and disposal) were analyzed and eight categories (i.e., economy concern, gender independence, internet reliance, inquisitive mind, visibility quest, brand focus, environmental concern, gifting preference) were induced. The findings gave insight into athlete consumers’ behavioral characteristics in term of their sport products consumption. Understanding these points contributes to gaining leverage in planning a domestic marketing strategy for this kind of goods.